Now and Forever
by ShadowsDaughter
Summary: The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore. [AU, Mates, my version of vampires, OOC, Rated M for poss. lemons, lang., and violence.]
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I'm at it again, writing a new fanfic. This time I hope my drive to write sticks with me. I have high hopes for this story and I hope you all like what I have here. Please review when you're done to let me know what you think.**

**Title:**** Now and Forever**

**Rating:**** M (because of possible lemons, language, and violence)**

**Summary:**** The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore. **

**Notes: -My vampires are similar to S.M.'s vampires but there are some differences.**

** -Bella is a bit OOC as this is whole story is AU.**

* * *

"Bells, would you mind going to get some groceries so we can have something for dinner?" Renee Swan called up the stairs to her seventeen year old daughter who had been holed up in her room all day.

Isabella Swan, better known as Bella, sighed and closed _Wuthering Heights _before opening the door to her bedroom.

"Yeah, Mom, no problem!" She yelled back before slipping on her shoes and grabbing her wallet. She jogged down the stairs, her long brown hair floating behind her. "What do you need me to get?" Bella asked as she entered the kitchen to see her mother writing out a list.

"Just a couple of things. You remember how to get to the store, right?" Renee asked and Bella nodded her head.

"We have been here for three weeks, Mom. I think I can find the store. I have been the only one to go there, after all." Bella rolled her eyes and her mother grinned at her daughter without shame.

"You know we appreciate it, darling." Renee said, her hazel eyes sparkling as they met her daughter's dark brown ones.

"Yeah, yeah." Bella smiled and reached for the list. "I'll be back in a bit."

She walked out of the house, hearing the TV on in the living room and knew her father as watching some game. It was the weekend after all.

The Swan family had just moved to Forks, Washington. Well, had just moved back to it. They had lived there when Bella was just a baby but Renee had started getting restless being in such a small town. Her parents talked it over, agreed to move to Los Angeles to try to the big city life together as they didn't want to ruin her life with them divorced and things worked out in Los Angeles. Her mother started teaching, while taking random classes every other month and her father kept his job as a police officer.

But then the summer before Bella's senior year, Charlie had got a call from an old friend in Forks asking if he'd be interested in the Chief of Police position and after talking with Renee and Bella, they agreed that at least for Bella's senior year they'd go to Forks and had moved back a few weeks later. Bella hadn't had that many friends in LA, having been more of a loner, preferring her books but she did miss her two closer friends Alex and Casey. They agreed to keep in touch through Skype and fun mail.

She thought she'd hate being in such a small town but the quiet and nature was nice. Bella thought it was a nice change from the city. Even her hectic mother was calmed a little bit. Though, her mother was still signing up for classes in Port Angeles, currently she was doing a Zumba class.

Bella sighed as she pulled her black 2003 Cadillac into the parking lot of the grocery store. A nice looking Volvo caught her eye and she shrugged before making her way inside, glancing over the list. She winced. It seemed her mother was experimenting again. She would have to buy something good for dessert. She grabbed a cart and slowly made her way through the store, grabbing what she needed.

She was trying to grab some flavored water off of the top shelf, stretching her short body as far as she could when she happened to glance over her shoulder and saw two of the most beautiful people ever. The woman had caramel colored hair that was curled gently to rest on her shoulders, her skin was pale and she was dressed in expensive clothing. She was shorter, but still taller than Bella.

But the guy next to the woman had Bella falling back to her flat feet. He was pretty tall, over six feet for sure. His hair was an interesting color, an odd bronze color and he was pale as well. He was defined, his muscles filling out his shirt but not overly so. And then he turned his head and their eyes met. His were a startling green color that seemed to darken when they met hers. Bella sucked in a breath as pain exploded in her chest. She fell forward, closing her eyes for the impact but then hard, strong arms were around her and her head was rested on a chest. A nose was pressed into her hair and she heard him inhale. She took another breath and the pain slowly went away. She looked up to see the guy with the green eyes holding her, a dark look in his eyes. A possessive one.

"W-what? You were too far to catch me…" Bella whispered, not knowing what was going on. The guy tightened his grip on her and she rested her hands on his arms naturally. She glanced at them, bewildered. Why did all this feel normal? Good? Why did she want to rest her head on his chest and just let him hold her?

"I can't believe I've finally found you." The guy said, his voice slightly deep. Masculine. A smile then spread across his face and she blinked a few times. God, he was beautiful. Guys weren't supposed to be beautiful. But he was.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, frowning. The guy leaned down—and he had to lean quite a bit as her head only reached to the middle of his chest—and brushed his nose along her neck, a soft rumble escaping him. It wasn't normal, impossible for another human being to purr but it was comforting, relaxing and Bella found herself melting into his arms, her head tilting to the side.

"Edward." A female voice said sternly and the guy, Edward, froze for a minute before standing up straight, never letting Bella go. Bella looked over to see the woman with the caramel colored hair standing next to them looking down the aisle past them. "Not here, son. You need to explain everything to her."

Edward and Bella looked down the aisle as well to see some girl with long, pale blonde hair staring with wide eyes, texting on her phone.

"Right, home then." Edward said with a nod.

"Wait, what?" Bella asked, trying to make sense of what was going on. Shouldn't she be freaking out right now?

"Oh, dear. I'm Esme, Edward's mother. It's so good to meet you. What's your name?" The woman held out a hand but Edward growled and Bella jumped, looking at him with wide eyes. "Edward!" The woman snapped. "You're scaring her."

"I'm sorry, love." Edward whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her ear in a way that made her want to squirm.

"Your name, dear?" The woman, Esme, seemed concerned for her.

"B-Bella." She managed to get out.

"Beautiful." Edward muttered with a nod and she glanced at him as she swallowed.

What was going on?

"Right then, we need to go so everything can be explained." Esme said with a smile and placed a hand on Bella's arm. Edward let out another rumble and Bella looked up with wide eyes to see two fangs click down and his eyes go black. She heard Esme call her name as everything went black.

* * *

_**Please take a minute to review.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Why hello everyone! I just want say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. The reaction I got was amazing! I was shocked, to be honest as I worried that I was a little too cryptic with my first chapter. This update is in Edward's POV. I'm not sure if I'm going to go every other between Bella and Edward but as I was sitting there yesterday, the same day I posted Chapter One, I was like, I kind of want to do this part from Edward's POV and see what happens! And here we are. **

**I'm posting this today because I hate having something finished sitting waiting for you all to read. I was asked if I had an updating schedule and the answer is no, I write when I'm inspired to but this story is at the forefront of my mind so I don't think you guys, or I, have any thing to worry about. **

**Please, please, please let me know what you think. Reviews brighten my day SO much and they do help by letting me know what you guys think/want. **

**-Shadow**

**Title:**** Now and Forever**

**Rating:**** M (because of possible lemons, language, and violence)**

**Summary:**** The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore. **

**Notes: -My vampires are similar to S.M.'s vampires but there are some differences.**

** -Bella and Edward are a bit OOC as this is whole story is AU.**

* * *

Over a hundred years he had been alone and while he was grateful that Carlisle saved his life, each year that passed only made the loneliness grow. Being a telepath didn't help things either. He could hear how in love his family was and while they didn't try to flaunt it in his face, they didn't hide their love either. And again, being a telepath who could hear everything 24/7 there was no way for them to truly hide their love. He had left his family a few times over the years, hoping he'd run into his mate but while he had made a few friends and fed well, he never found _her._

Edward sighed as laid back on his bed, putting his ear buds in as loud as possible which was much louder to his ears than a human's ears since he was a vampire. It was nighttime and his family was partaking in night-time activities. Super hearing wasn't the attribute of a vampire. All of their senses were heightened to the maximum and they all could move a superhuman speed, a blur to the human eye. As a vampire aged, the faster he or she got. All vampires had pale, rock hard skin to protect themselves from the elements and each other, unless they were trying to hurt each other that is. Their features were enhanced from when they were human, most vampires looked like models to the humans. Though, there were a few plain vampires.

Some vampires had special talents, like Edward. He could read people's minds, unfortunately he couldn't ever _not_ hear anyone, though humans were quieter than vampires. They were more like a quiet murmur in the background. Edward's "sister" Alice had a talent as well, she was psychic. Seeing the future was sometimes not all it's cracked up to be, sometimes just images that don't make sense but more often than not her visions have helped the Cullen family. Alice's mate, and Edward's "brother", Jasper was an empath and a powerful one at that. He was so mastered at his power because he had been a part of the southern wars for a while before finding his way to Alice. He was a powerful ally to have.

His other "family" members didn't have what he'd call powers but there was something there. Like his creator, Carlisle, who was the coven leader, he had never tasted human blood and worked at the hospital as a surgeon. Strong restraint, but not an actual power. Carlisle's mate, Esme was very compassionate and when she spoke to you, you had a feeling like you should tell her anything and everything. Perhaps the beginnings of a power late in coming? Not sure. Then there was Emmett, who had some extra strength to him despite his age, but again not a real power. Then lastly, there was Rosalie, Emmett's mate. She was the most beautiful of the coven, almost angelic. She could get human men to do anything she wanted just with a smile, but not a power. If anything, her looks have made her conceited over the years.

Hours went by as Edward laid there getting lost with the music, his hand gently moving in the air with it.

_"Edward._"

His green eyes opened and he looked up at his ceiling before pulling out one ear bud.

"Yes, Esme?" He asked, holding back his sigh as he read the question in her mind before she could ask it.

"Would you come to the store with me?"

"Of course."

He didn't want to go, but he knew that he said no, it would only offend Esme. And he wanted to keep her happy as he could. Plus it still bugged her, not that she'd say it to him, that he wouldn't give up his human diet. He had rejoined the family again a year ago and they could immediately from the aura of power rolling off of him that he was back on a human diet. Esme was the only one who was affected by it. Carlisle had just asked him to make sure to keep himself clean around Jasper and that was the end of it. He loved Carlisle because of that. No judgement whatsoever. Rosalie was also on a human diet but she didn't feed regularly enough for it make much of a difference like it did with Edward. He was already the fastest in the family, but now he was _fast_.

_"You'll enjoy going."_ Alice giggled.

"What do you mean, Alice?" Edward sighed as he walked down the steps, not in the mood for her games.

"You'll see!" She sang down the steps as she appeared at the top, Jasper right behind her.

"Do you know what's going on?" Edward asked, already digging through his brain but all he got was confusion and love from Jasper for Alice. Whereas Alice was purposefully singing 'Like a Virgin' in her mind over and over.

"No clue, bro. Sorry." Jasper drawled in his southern accent, a half apologetic smile on his face. Edward just nodded at him before meeting Esme at the door.

"I'll drive, Mom." He said and could hear the delight from him calling her that. That's why he'd continue to do it.

They got to the store and he followed her around, both of them quiet but he didn't mind. He was listening in to the town gossip. It seemed the new family, the Swans, were being pretty anti-social and it was annoying some of the towns people. They had only seen the father, Charles Swan in his cruiser, the mother in her car or getting gas, and the daughter at the grocery store twice. It was as if they were offending the townspeople. Edward found himself amused and couldn't help the chuckle that left him.

"What is it?" Esme quietly asked, her mind colored in confusion.

"They are all upset that the Swan family, the family that just moved to town are too anti-social." Edward said. Esme rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"Some people are just too rude! Maybe this family just needs time to just adjust! Really, some people..." Edward hid his smile behind her.

He glanced down an aisle to see a short brunette reaching for something on the top shelf and his eyes ran down her body, taking in her curves and he found himself interested. Maybe he could go over and flirt, find out where she lived and such? But then he glanced at Esme and felt a bit bad. She wouldn't like that. Not with Esme around, he decided, but couldn't help but glance back at the girl and breathed in deeply to take in her scent. His gums ached as his fangs wanted to descend. God, why was this girl so desirable but then her eyes met his and an explosion went off in his chest. The pain registered briefly in the back of his mind, but there was one thought in the forefront that had him zooming to catch her at his top speed, ignoring Esme's gasp of surprise.

**_Mine._**

* * *

_**Please take a minute to review.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Wowser guys! 45 favorites, 106 alerts, and 50 alerts with only two chapters? I'm blown away! Thank you so much! I appreciate your support more than I can express here in this note but know I love you guys! I hope that I continue to have your support 'til the end. **

**In this this chapter we're back to Bella's POV and I've decided that we will be going back and forth between Bella and Edward's POV's. Someone expressed concern about me shifting POVs with many other characters and I just want to say that for now the only characters I will be writing in is Edward and Bella. Just a little warning, things heat up the tinniest bit at the end... maybe more next chapter? Who knows! (;**

**Please, please, please let me know what you think. Reviews brighten my day SO much and they do help by letting me know what you guys think/want. **

**-Shadow**

**Title:**** Now and Forever**

**Rating:**** M (because of possible lemons, language, and violence)**

**Summary:**** The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore. **

**Notes: -My vampires are similar to S.M.'s vampires but there are some differences.**

** -Bella and Edward are a bit OOC as this is whole story is AU.**

* * *

Bella was surprisingly comfortable despite the coolness that was almost surrounding her. Did she leave her window open or something? She sighed and nestled into her bed but the hardness and the purr that resulted from the action had her freezing. Where was she? But then the events at the grocery store floated to the forefront of her mind and she slowly opened her eyes to see a black, cotton t-shirt stretched over a breathing chest that was still emanating a soft purr. The arms that were around her tightened and she looked up, her dark brown eyes meeting a bright green pair.

"Hello," the guy whispered with a smile and Bella blinked, slightly dazzled by the smile. What was his name again? E... Edward!

"Where am I?" Bella asked, looking around the room. It had to be his bedroom. There were dark tones but the carpet was a golden color and there were golden accents everywhere. The room was surprisingly mature for a teenager.

"You're at my house. I brought you here when you fainted." Edward responded, running a hand up and down her back. Her brow furrowed as she realized she wasn't bothered by it there. Why wasn't she? He was a stranger that had pretty much kidnapped her! That was wrong but it didn't _feel_ wrong to be in his arms.

"I fainted..." Bella murmured and bit her lip, trying to go through the murky memories but then her skin paled as she looked up at Edward with wide eyes. "You... you had fangs and your eyes were black!" She choked out and Edward sighed.

"Please don't faint again, you really had me worried. I will explain everything to you, Bella. I promise." Edward said with a frown as he eyed her face.

"You had fangs!" Bella repeated, not able to get past that. The eyes? Could have been a trick of the light. But fangs? No way she imagined that.

"Yes, I have fangs. I need them to feed." Edward sighed again and Bella choked on air. _What? _Edward sat up, bringing Bella with him and brought her so that her back was to his chest. "Deep breaths, little one." Edward whispered, his chest rumbling against her back as he spoke, worry plain in his voice.

"What do you mean... feed?" Bella asked after a few minutes when she had managed to calm down. Part of her was relieved she was finally reacting to something. Edward twisted Bella so she was sitting sideways on his lap and held her hands before meeting her eyes with his worried ones.

"I'm a vampire, Bella. That's why I have fangs. I use them to feed on humans." Edward gently said, his thumbs rubbing over the tops of her hands soothingly as her heart pounded in her chest at the news. But as Bella stared at Edward she found she wasn't scared of him, somehow she knew he wouldn't hurt her. How? She wasn't sure. But she just knew he wouldn't. She took a deep breath.

"Why aren't I scared of you? I know I should be." Bella said after a moment and another brilliant grin spread across Edward's face.

"In the store when we made eye contact, you felt a pain in your chest, correct?" Edward asked but with his tone it was like he already knew the answer. She nodded, bringing a hand to her chest where she had felt it; right over her heart. Edward copied her movement on himself before retaking her hand. "I felt it at the same time, Bella."

"What does it mean?" She asked, knowing it meant something since he brought it up.

"It means we're mates." Edward said, his eyes lit with joy.

"Like soul mates?" Bella frowned.

"Yes, exactly. That's why you aren't scared of. That's why you feel the need to be in my arms," Bella's face slipped into a surprised mask, "I feel it, too." Edward shrugged. "We're perfect for each other. Meant to be. You're mine just as I'm yours." His eyes glinted and she swallowed, this time not for fear or for being overwhelmed. She looked away, trying not to blush but her cheeks burned anyway. "You can feel the truth of this." Edward stated.

And it was true. Everything Edward was saying felt... right. Like there could be no other answer. She was still a bit amazed at how well she was taking it, though.

"How come I'm taking this so well?" Bella asked, looking back up at him to see him staring at her.

"It's our bond. As mates we've no reason to fear one another as we'd never hurt one another. It's physically impossible. I'd sooner kill myself than hurt you." Edward said and Bella flinched at the idea. God, she didn't even know him and the idea of him dead hurt her. "See? Your heart recognizes that you need me." He said gently and she frowned. "The bond urges us to be touching and close because it brings us the most happiness. The strength of the effects of the bond will fade after time, but also with time our bond will grow to where we'll be able to feel each others emotions if we're in great distress, or greatly happy." Edward explained.

"So I have no free will with this?" She frowned and he shook his head, his hands tightening around hers.

"Bella, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. The bond just urges us to be close to bring us closer, for us to get to know one another and because touch brings us happiness to touch. And well, I'm very... protective of you. I won't be able to leave you alone for very long for some time." Edward said, almost sounding embarrassed and Bella squeezed his hands automatically, wanting him to feel better.

"I think I could get used to seeing you a lot." Bella teased with a small smile, her eyes running over his handsome face. God, how could someone be so good looking? She sighed, feeling a bit plain next to him. She had always thought her hair was nice, being so thick and long, and that her pale, clear skin was nice. She was cute, pretty, but not beautiful like Edward was.

"Hey," Edward said and released one of her hands to cup her chin in his hand. He tilted her head up so her eyes met his again and she was struck by how serious he looked. "Don't be down about yourself." Bella frowned, confused. "It was all over your face, your eyes are like an open book which is a very good thing for me." Edward chuckled. "You're beautiful, Bella. Never doubt that." He quietly said and she swallowed but nodded as much as she could with him holding her head in place.

His eyes ran over her face before landing on her lips and she sucked in a breath. _Yes, _Bella chanted, _kiss me._ She didn't care that she didn't know him as much as she should before she should be kissing him. She just wanted his lips on hers. Edward slowly leaned closer until there was only the smallest space between their lips. She could feel his breaths on her lips and she automatically licked her lips but accidentally licked his as well. Edward groaned and covered her lips with his, his hand going to tangle in her hair. Her hands grabbed at his sides as he licked at her lips, asking for entrance and she gave it without a second thought.

When his tongue met hers, she let out a moan and then suddenly her back met the bed with Edward between her legs, his hips snug against hers, a growl escaping his chest. She brought a hand to his head and yanked on hair, bringing a moan to escape him. Edward released her lips and she opened her eyes to meet his black ones but when his fangs clicked down, she froze for a second, meeting his eyes. What was he going to do?

* * *

_**Please take a minute to review.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm probably going to say something like this every time but THANK YOU so much for the support and love, you guys. Really, I'm amazed at the reaction I'm getting from this story that started as a random little plot idea in my head. I love you all! Thanks for the reviews, alerts, favorites, and guess what everyone! This story is now in a community is as well! Yay! I'm blown away, seriously. **

**Now, moving on from me being sappy! Lots of you had questions on things I've posted so far and I hope in this chapter I answer some of your questions. I love that you guys do put your questions in reviews and such because it lets me know if I've maybe skimmed something I shouldn't have and the like. So please continue with that. **

**PLEASE READ THIS NEXT LITTLE BIT IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE OF THE AUTHOR NOTE.**

**Was that clear enough? Haha.**

**I'm sure you're wondering why this update is twice the size as the last three chapters and the answer is that this next weeks is finals for me and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get an update up and whatnot. It could be a whole week and while that's usually the norm, I don't want that to be the norm for this story so I decided to apologize in advance with a lengthier chapter. As always, I hope you all like this update!**

**Please, please, please let me know what you think. Reviews brighten my day SO much and they do help by letting me know what you guys think/want.**

**-Shadow**

**Title:**** Now and Forever**

**Rating:**** M (because of possible lemons, language, and violence)**

**Summary:**** The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore. **

**Notes: -My vampires are similar to S.M.'s vampires but there are some differences.**

** -Bella and Edward are a bit OOC as this is whole story is AU.**

* * *

Edward had thought holding her in his arms at the grocery store had been nice, had thought feeling her body all along his as he awaited for he to wake was amazing, but kissing his mate? Heaven. He had been worried for her as she had been out for over an hour since they left the store but Carlisle had assured him she would wake when she was ready and that she was fine. He had felt terrible for scaring her so much, but Esme had touched her! Rationally he knew it was just Esme but everything had been on overdrive those first couple minutes. He had already apologized to Esme but she had brushed it off, knowing how mates could be.

He had to admit he was amazed by how well his Bella was taking everything. Was she in some form of shock? But any concerns drifted to the back of his mind when she had stared at him with those large, brown eyes begging him to kiss her. It was odd, not being able to hear her thoughts but he could read her expressions pretty well so it wasn't too bad. He would have to talk with Carlisle about Bella's amunity to his gift. But later, perhaps much later.

"Are you going to bite me?" Bella whispered and he froze, staring down at her, watching her breaths come in in gasps. Then some guilt started to worm it's way into him. He wanted to bite her and mark her as his, but as he met her eyes and saw the tiniest bit of fear he knew he couldn't do it. He could never hurt her.

"No, little one." Edward murmured and ran a hand gently down her face, taking in how she relaxed a little bit into the bed. He had bitten, had sex with and killed many women but he would never force anything on his Bella. Not that he was a rapist or anything. "Why don't we continue talking?" He suggested and smirked a bit as she let out a disappointed sigh.

"Alright." Bella nodded her head and he pulled her up with him to sit across from each other, but he kept her hand in his, _needing_ some sort of physical contact.

"What do you want to know?" Edward asked after watching Bella open and close her mouth a few times and glance his way before looking down at their joined hands. Her shyness was cute, and refreshing. He was used to women throwing themselves at him and while it made it easy for him to feed and such, it was more often than not annoying.

"You... wanted to bite me." Bella hesitantly began and Edward nodded, curious to where this was going to go. "And you feed from humans..." Again, he nodded. "So... are you a murderer?" She whispered and from her tone, Edward could tell she was fearing this answer. She may not fear him but she didn't like the idea of him being a monster.

"I used to kill people before I could control my thirst and strength." Edward sighed and waited until she looked back up at him when he paused too long. "But I don't kill anymore, Bella. I feed on people, yes, but I don't kill unnecessary." He said. "I don't feed on children, the elderly, or those who are with child. I'm not a complete monster." He said with a humorless smile and Bella cringed.

"I don't think you're a monster... I just... The thought that you're out there killing people and me knowing about it without doing anything to stop it?" Her pitch got higher and higher as she spoke and he rubbed the top of her hand, feeling bad that he was making her upset. "My dad is the Chief of Police, Edward. I couldn't have looked him in the eye knowing..." Bella sighed and looked away.

"Hey," Edward said and brought his free hand to guide her face to look back at him. "I promise, I won't do anything to make you feel guilty or anything." He assured her. "You're my mate, Bella, and as such your safety and happiness is my number one priority." He smiled at her and she nodded her head.

"So you and your mother both feed on people? How do you hide that in this town?" Bella asked after a moment and he let go of her hand to grab her around the waist to bring her closer to him.

"Sorry, I just need you close to me right now." Edward whispered into her hair as she settled into his side. She smiled up at him, no longer looking upset. "It's not just me and Esme; there's a whole family. Esme and her mate Carlisle, my "siblings" Jasper and Alice who are mates, and my other "siblings" Emmett and Rosalie."

"Wow... that's a big family." Bella whispered and Edward thought he could detect a hint of jealousy.

"Yes, and they're yours now as well since you're my mate." Edward said and she looked up at him with wide eyes but he could see the sparkle in them. His heart leapt. She looked happy, surprised yes, but happy.

"Just like that? What if they don't like me? I mean, I'm just a human and-"

A growl escaped him before he could control it and Bella stopped speaking, her eyes wider but now she looked cautious.

"You're _not_ just a human, Bella. You're so much more than that." Edward said firmly and Bella swallowed loudly before nodding her head. "And they will love you, Alice is already excited to meet you as is Carlisle and Emmett. Esme would love to know more about you."

"And Jasper... and Rosalie?" Bella asked, frowning a bit.

"They're a bit indifferent but that will change once they get to know you." Edward smiled at her. She sighed but slowly nodded her head.

"Right... so how do you all hide yourselves if you're all feeding here in town?" Bella asked and he smirked a bit. She wouldn't let her curiosity go. He liked that.

"Well, only Rosalie and I actually feed on humans. The others feed on animals." Edward said and Bella blinked a few times.

"You can survive on animal blood?" She asked.

"You can _survive." _Edward said. "You're slower, you're weaker and less powerful. Plus when you're around humans as much as we are it makes it more tempting." He explained.

"Oh..." Bella said and glanced at him before looking away.

"You're wondering why I don't feed on animals." Edward stated and smiled at her surprised glance. "I used to feed on animals but I found that when I was feeding on humans, I was more comfortable in my skin and like I said I'm more powerful and when I'm around humans it's almost not a problem at all to be surrounded by them. Also with my power-"

"Power?" Bella asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Ah yeah," Edward nodded. "I can read people's minds." Bella's face paled and Edward's arm around her tightened. "But not you! For some reason I can't read your mind." Edward told her. Bella didn't say anything for a minute before frowning.

"So there's something wrong with me?"

"What?" Edward raised an eyebrow, not following her logic.

"You can't read my brain so something must be wrong with it." Bella expanded.

"Or it's because we're mates?" Edward countered and she sighed but nodded. "Bella, I sincerely doubt anything is wrong with you. It's either because we're mates or it's a power manifesting already before you're a vampire." He shrugged but Bella stared at him with wide eyes.

"Before I'm a vampire?" She echoed and he froze, his mind now racing. She didn't want to be a vampire. She would die and then he'd be alone forever. Maybe Jasper would end his life for him?

_"Edward! Stop that right now!" _Alice scolded him in his mind and he blinked a few times. _"Jasper would never do that, and calm down, I see her as a vampire in most of my visions. There are only a handful where she's older as a human. She's already canceling that idea out as I speak." _

His shoulders drooped with relief and he smiled a bit, thinking about getting something to thank Alice. She always was there to calm him down.

_"I've sent you an email with a link to a pair of shoes that I want." _She giggled in her mind and he smirked a bit. Knowing her, they would cost more than small chunk of change.

"I guess that makes logical sense but I can't think about that right now, Edward." Bella's voice pulled him from his mind and he looked down at her to see her twisting her hands to together in worry as she looked up at him.

"Of course, Bella. Let's talk about something else." He suggested and she nodded.

"Right, well, how do keep yourself a secret, I mean obviously if you bite someone they're bound to tell someone." Bella shrugged and he nodded.

"They would but when a vampire feeds, they release a hormone that clouds the human's mind making them sort of zone out, almost feel pleasure." Edward explained, knowing how it felt since he could read minds. "And when we're done we have about a minute to tell them what we want them to think happened. It kind of fills that blank, pleasure zone in their memory." He explained.

"Huh." Bella frowned and he chuckled.

"You'd have to experience it to see what I mean." He said and she nodded her head.

It was quiet for a few minutes and it was nice. Bella rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed and he rested his head on hers gently breathing in her scent. Freesias. He could breath in her scent all day.

"Are Carlisle and Esme your real parents?" Bella asked after a while.

"No," Edward sighed and picked up his head. "My parents died when I was changed. Carlisle is my maker. Carlisle and Esme are like parents to me now, though." He said and she slowly nodded.

"I'm sorry about your parents, Edward."

"Me, too." He said quietly. They had died after experiencing a lot of pain through sickness, a sickness he didn't really remember but he wished that they hadn't experienced as much pain as they did.

"Oh God, my parents!" Bella gasped, sitting up straight, patting her jeans pockets.

"Bella, calm down." Edward said and she sent him a glare that had him chuckling. She wasn't very intimidating, she was too small. "Your mother called after you were gone for half an hour so we let it go to voice mail then Alice texted her back saying you met her, actually, at the store and was hanging out with her. Your mother was quite happy you had made a friend," he chuckled and she blinked a few times.

"And... she hasn't called since?" Bella asked.

"It's only been about thirty minutes since she called but she did ask you to not be gone long through the text conversation." Edward shrugged. Bella gaped at him for a few minutes.

"Then... I should probably go because I still need to get the groceries and my mom needs to make some weird dinner and-"

"Bella," Edward interrupted her as she slid off the bed and she paused, her face caught in a worried expression. "Alice had called and told Esme to buy the groceries on your list so you don't need to buy them." He smiled. "You don't need to leave yet." _Please don't leave yet._

Bella frowned.

"I only have my card. I don't have cash to pay Esme back."

"Bella," Edward laughed, "you don't have to pay anyone back and if you try, Esme won't let you."

_"You got that right."_

Edward smirked at Esme's thoughts.

"That's too kind of her," Bella said, "I need to at least thank her in person!"

Alice squealed from her and Jasper's room and Edward sighed.

"Everyone downstairs!" Alice called so everyone but Bella could hear.

"What?" Bella asked as Edward rolled his eyes. "It's the right thing to do, Edward."

"Not you, little one." Edward said. "It's Alice. She's having everyone meet up in the living room so you can meet them all."

"Oh..." Bella said, her eyes wide.

"Yes, 'oh'." He said and got off the bed. "C'mon, the more we make her wait the more annoying she'll be when you do meet her."

He could hear Alice grumbling downstairs and some chuckling because they all knew it was true.

He held out his hand to Bella and she placed her hand in his. God, she was so much smaller than him. He was a whole foot taller than her and her hand was surrounded by his, but he found that he loved it. Normally he went for tall, curvy women but Bella... God, he didn't know what he had been thinking. She was perfect. He kept a slow pace since her legs were short and he could hear Alice jumping around, whispering excitedly. He smiled a bit. He and Alice were close, both having mental gifts made things very difficult in their day to day lives and they just got each other. He would do anything for the pixie and vice versa.

As they descended the last staircase, as he was on the third floor, Bella seemed to grow nervous and shuffled closer to his side. He grinned. He was glad that she felt comfortable enough with him that she would seek comfort from him when she was nervous. Almost all physical contact in his room had been initiated by him, and while he had no doubts or fears, it was just nice to know that she was seeking him out. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, her arm going around his waist. She molded herself to his side as they entered the living room and saw his family.

"Bella!" Alice squealed and skipped forward. Edward had a hold on his instincts now but he still tightened his grip on Bella as Alice stopped in front of them.

"Hello," Bella quietly said, holding out her right hand for Alice to shake and Edward smiled.

"You are so cute!" Alice exclaimed and half hugged Bella, not pulling her from Edward's grip.

"Uh..." Bella seemed a bit lost.

"Oh! I'm Alice, by the way." Alice grinned and after a moment Bella smiled back. "I just know we're going to be great friends!" And in her mind Edward saw images of Bella and Alice shopping, hanging out in Alice's room, in a room he didn't recognize but must have been Bella's but they both looked happy. He was glad. Alice didn't have that many friends other than Rosalie and Rosalie was like a switch, one day hot, one day cold. And he was glad Bella would have a female vampire friend who she could go to for anything.

"I hope so," Bella replied with a wider smile and Alice winked.

"Trust me, I know." Alice replied.

"Enough hogging the human!" Emmett's loud, deep voice thundered and Bella flinched at the sound. Edward narrowed his eyes at Emmett but his brother ignored him and went up to the gawking Bella with his classic wide, dimpled grin. It was understandable why Bella was so intimidated; Emmett was six feet six inches tall and was packed with muscle but he was the kindest, funniest guy out there. But one wouldn't know that looking at him. Edward glanced at Carlisle who was sighing and shaking his head.

_"I'm sorry, son. I told him to rein it in, but you know how he is."_

Edward nodded. He did indeed.

"Hi." Bella whispered

"Hello," Emmett chuckled. "I'm Emmett, the handsome one of the family." He winked and a giggle escaped Bella. Edward relaxed a little. If she was happy then he was.

"Bella, human." She replied and held out her hand. Emmett let out another of his loud laughs before reaching out and ruffling her hair.

"I like you." Emmett announced before turning and going back to Rosalie's side.

"I'm Rosalie." She just nodded her head, though there was a small smile on her lips.

"Nice to meet you, Rosalie." Bella replied.

"And this is my Jazz!" Alice announced, pulling Jasper with her back up to Bella. Edward watched as Bella took in Jasper's cowboy boots and plaid shirt.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." Jasper said, his accent thick and Edward had to push down his jealousy when he felt Bella lean into his side at Jasper's voice.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Jasper." Bella said with a smile but this time didn't hold out her hand since Jasper kept his hands in his pockets. Jasper dipped his head before going back to where he had been leaning on the wall. Alice winked at Bella again before skipping to Jasper.

"And this is Carlisle and Esme. You met Esme earlier." Edward said, leading her over to his maker and mother figure who were waiting off to the side with smiles on their faces.

"Hello, dear. How are you feeling?" Esme asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine. Thanks." Bella nodded. "You have a lovely home..." She trailed off glancing between Edward and Esme looking a bit confused. "Erm... what would you like me to call you?" Bella asked and Edward grinned again. His mate, so polite. Carlisle smiled at him and nodded his head, showing his approval. Edward didn't need it. Not by any means, but it was nice to have. Emmett chuckled behind him but he ignored him.

"Oh! Just call me Esme, dear. And thank you." Esme said, her smile widening to a grin.

"And call me Carlisle." His maker said, holding out a hand and Bella shook without hesitation. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Finally?" Bella asked.

"I'm just glad Edward has finally met his mate." Carlisle explained and Bella glanced up at Edward with a smile.

"I'm glad I met him, too."

But then a phone rang and they all turned to Alice who pulled Bella's phone out of her pocket.

"Sorry for still having it, I didn't want to disturb you." Alice said with an apologetic smile as she handed it to Bella who glanced at the lit up screen.

"Who is it?" Edward asked.

"My father." Bella said and picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Isabella, where are you?" Bella's eyes widened as she looked up at Edward.

* * *

_**Please take a minute to review.**_


End file.
